UNITED PRESS REPORT.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1918, Page 2

UNITED PRESS REPORT.

BATTLE AT CRITICAL STAGE.

GREAT HINDENURG PUSH

Received, this day at 8.45 a.m. - LONDON March 27

The United Press correspondent says the French are viewing the coming events calmly and courageously. The British are holding the gates of Albert- determinedly, against Hindenburg’s masses, along Pozieres Ridge, astride of the Somme, Warlencourt, Lesars, Piers, Long,evale, Montauban, Mametz and Courcelette. The Germans to-day are strewing their corpses as they slowly press forward.

The battle has undoubtedly reached a critical stage. Hindenburg is desperately trying to break through now here, now there, unmindful of the huge gaps torn in his massed ranks by the British guns. Simultaneous with lunges in the direction of Albert, furious, attacks are flung southwest, against the line from QEtosieres to St. Gobain, Forest, curving outward towards Roye, an ( ] Noyon. Between the two last named places, assault follows assault, in rapid succession < The Anglo-French are forcing the enemy to. pay dearly for every inch of ground. Nesle was taken only after a most furious combat, the French resorting to bayonets, grenades and even pocket knives in body death locks. Much the same scenes were enacted at Ney. The British at Orcvillers, Ligny, Thilloy, Montauban and elsewhere are withdrawing, only when ordered, sticking until the last, man is overcome bv sheer numbers.

A GREAT IfTOHT. SIXTH DAY AND NO STOP. LONDON, March 26. The United Press- correspondent states the sixth day of the monster battle finds the British and Germans fighting like tigers. A great struggle goes on across the Pozieres ridge. There is furious fighting in every direction, the enemy ceaselessly throwing masses towards Albert- from the high ground around Mont Auban. Here the British machine guns positions are resisting stubbornly. Further south, the Germans are thrusting desperately westward from Nesle. Here they are attempting to

drive a wedge, hut their progress is slow owing to the Allied resistance. The Allies are daily resisting, the enemy violently striving to break through.

The Germane aro trying to break through at three points, "viz, southward of Arras, at Albert and towards Noyon. Each sector is the scene of the heaviest of fighting, night and day. The Germans are fighting madly towards valley termed the “Bloody Ancre”. The weather is fine, favouring the Germans. For a few hours the barometer fell in the afternoon, and clouds cam© lip. but the wind veered to the northward, clearing up the sky. The airmen are profiting, however, both by sunlight and starlight. In tho past four days fighting, over 200 German machines have been downed. Some 120 of these were seen to crush, many aflame, and 83 fell uncontrollable.

Our low-flyers are ceaselessly har. rassing the German ‘attackers, vigorously bombing the advancing human waves.

THE BRITISH LINE. HOW IT NOW RUNS. LONDON March 27. The Press Bureau; makes the following announcement. There were further attacks north of Somme, last night,, and there were local engagements wherein the enemy were repulsed. They attempted a serious attack on our lines on the north of the Somme which now rnns as follows—Through Bray, Albert, Beaumont Hamel, Puissient, Ayete, Boury, Henin, Naneourt, just west of Monchy, to Scarpe, thence along the original front. Germans have been attacking heavily , south of the Somme. This morning they captured Roye. The line tliea-e runs as follows—Through Mericourt, Pozieres, west of Roye. West of Noyon, fresh German divisions have been identified including two of Guards and two Brandenburgs.

• English, French and Americans are fighting shoulder to shoulder. French' reinforcements a.re rapidly coining up. The enemy have been cheeked west of Itoyo and west of Noyon.